A horror movie without a great premise has already failed. Fans won't want to see it and there's nothing to draw people in. But when a horror film has a concept that sounds incredible and then the movie falls flat, it's definitely disappointing and it's hard not to wish for more character development, detailed explanations, and plot.
From a recent release that is a dark take on the country music scene to a Blumhouse film with a fun premise, there are some horror films that have really interesting concepts... but once fans reach the final scene, it becomes clear that the idea was more compelling than the movie.
The Open House (2018)
A horror movie about a mother and son who begin living in a country home after a family tragedy sounds ripe for scares and big moments. This should be one of the best horror movie settings as there aren't many people around, which basically invites a stalker/killer/intruder to stop by. Unfortunately, the 2018 Netflix film The Open House is really dull, and it's hard to say what happens during the film's run time.
Naomi (Piercey Dalton) and Logan Wallace (Dylan Minnette) come across some odd people, including a neighbor named Martha (Patricia Bethune), and Logan seems to be able to tell that something is off earlier than his mom does. The movie's ending is absolutely brutal, making audiences wonder why they just watched this film.
Truth Or Dare (2018)
Truth Or Dare isn't the most popular Blumhouse horror movie but it does have a great premise: friends playing a game of truth or dare that turns deadly and completely ruins any chance they have at a normal life if they're able to survive.
The movie stars Tyler Posey as Lucas Moreno and Lucy Hale as Olivia Barron, and the characters aren't interesting enough to move the story along. Like other films or TV shows about a scary game, some vague rules are explained, but audiences will want more. The ending feels abrupt and will leave audiences wishing that the movie had more depth to it.
The Possession of Hannah Grace (2018)
Fans of Shay Mitchell, who played Emily Fields on the popular teen horror show Pretty Little Liars, likely watched The Possession of Hannah Grace to see the star's latest film performance. There is an attempt made at backstory and a character arc here, as Mitchell's character, Megan Reed, used to be a cop and when her partner died, Megan became addicted to pills and has struggled ever since. But besides that explanation, there isn't much here, and audiences don't get to know Megan very well despite watching her for the entire run time of the film.
While working the night shift at a morgue, Megan comes across the corpse of Hannah Grace, and weird and supernatural things start happening. It's not a very unique horror movie about ghosts and the story becomes too corny to be scary.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
Many people grew up reading Alvin Schwartz's beloved Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, so the news that there would be a film adaptation was exciting. But the result is a lackluster film that isn't as fun and compelling as the source material.
The movie focuses on kids named Chuck (Austin Zajur), Auggie (Gabriel Rush) and Stella (Zoe Colletti) as they come across a terrifying book of stories. Each one comes to life: a scarecrow in "Harold," a monster in "BIg Toe," and spiders in "The Red Spot." The stories themselves are the most interesting part of the film, but there's a messy, dull middle and not enough character development. It's not a great horror movie for kids as it might be too scary but it's not interesting enough for adults. The idea of child characters reading scary tales and then those tales coming to life is great, but the movie doesn't live up to the premise.
Torn Hearts (2022)
Torn Hearts isn't one of the worst Blumhouse horror movies, but the 2022 release does waste an interesting story as it veers off into a boring and predictable direction. Country music duo Leigh Blackhouse (Alexxis Lemire) and Jordan Wilder (Abby Quinn) are obsessed with the legendary and now retired singer Harper Dutch (Katey Sagal). Dreaming of fame and money, the pair show up at Harper's house, asking if they can record a song with her. From the moment that Harper lets them into her old and dirty mansion, it's clear that something is wrong. It's obvious that the characters should run for their lives and that the story of Harper's sister and singer partner's death is actually a lie.
The film is a Blumhouse Television and EPIX production and while there's plenty of gore, it's not really all that scary. It's compelling learning that Leigh and Jordan met a little while ago in Nashville and started working together, and it's also fun seeing them meet the person who they have idolized, but Harper is too obviously evil from the start.